To supply a currently popular fashion trend, snakes are being skinned alive for purses, handbags, belts, shoes and clothes. Indonesia is one of the biggest offenders of this horrible abuse and the government needs to put a stop to it now.

Snakes have been on the planet for over 100 million years, and throughout that time have continually fought negative stereotypes. In Christianity, they are pegged as the animal that brought about man’s downfall. In an Egyptian tale, a god turns himself into a venomous snake so that he can kill two of his enemies. Today, an internet search for cruelty against snakes turns up countless pages on how to kill a snake, or how poisonous and dangerous they are.

In fact, they are surprisingly docile and non-aggressive creatures. A shivering mother snake wraps herself up around her baby snake eggs to keep them warm. Out of approximately 2,700 species, only about 375 are venomous and deadly, less than 14%. Also, they primarily only release venom on prey; a secondary reason is for self-defense.

Up to 90% of all snake skins come from wild caught snakes. To acquire their skins, a live snake’s head is nailed to a tree. Still alive, it is then cut open from head to toe and its skin is removed. Larger snakes are starved and then pumped full of water through hoses that have been jammed down their throats. This process makes it easier to remove their skins. Once skinned, they are then thrown into a heap with other mutilated and skinned snakes, and left to die, which usually takes several days. Their nervous systems are similar to humans, suggesting that they feel pain in the same way that we do.

Snakes are vital to bio-diversity, keeping the rodent population and other sources of prey numbers down. When removed, rodent species can explode, leading to disease outbreaks in humans and also extensive crop damage. More and more species are also becoming endangered. In India, snakes became a protected species after passage of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, which effectively banned the snakeskin industry as well. Sign the petition below and encourage Indonesia to pass a similar law or act protecting all snake species and the rich biodiversity that they contribute to.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,

Snakes are gentle, non-aggressive creatures that deserve to be treated humanely and respected like all wildlife in this world. Several species are also endangered because of the high demand for their skins in the fashion industry. Indonesia is a wonderful country and its protection of snakes would demonstrate wisdom and concern for the beautiful land and its animal inhabitants. Please ban the torturous method of skinning a snake alive and enact a law making it illegal to kill snakes in the wild.

It can be hard to protect an animal that is both feared and venomous. However, snakes are vital to the environment and contribute greatly to Indonesia’s beautiful and rich biodiversity. They keep the rodent population down which minimizes outbreaks of disease and helps keep the eco-system in balance. Killing snakes by nailing them to a tree and cutting off their skin while conscious is barbaric and violent. Please enact a law that will protect all snake species in your country.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Tajai via Flickr

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Its appalling to treat living creatures so horribly. May God save their poor souls. Those who treat them so cruelly will surely go to Hell. They disgust and distress me more than I could ever say. I wish such cruel people did not exist. I do not envy them the products they buy. They make me wish they were dead.

The people who do these things and buy these products seem to have no empathy for the creatures they cause to suffer so badly. Maybe these people are psychopaths or autistic. Apparently, these mental conditions are more common than people realise. Perhaps those who make and/or buy these products are mentally ill. Seriously. This is why they can’t be got through to. They just haven’t got the brain wiring they’d need to understand the feelings others have. Scientists recently found that they themselves are more often autistic spectrum people, too. Seriously. And we know that powerful and/or rich people are more likely to be psychopathic, too. We are allowing mental cases to run riot. Really people, we need to take this whole situation in hand, and govern/treat these people, not let them do as they please, with us or with animals. Also, mental diseases should be deselectable as embryoes, just as the physically disabled are. We need to stop abusive behaviour, permanently.

The people who do these things and buy these products seem to have no empathy for the creatures they cause to suffer so badly. Maybe these people are psychopaths or autistic. Apparently, these mental conditions are more common than people realise. Perhaps those who make and/or buy these products are mentally ill. Seriously. This is why they can’t be got through to. They just haven’t got the brain wiring they’d need to understand the feelings others have. Brain scans/tests may show if this is true. Scientists recently found that they themselves are more often autistic spectrum people, too. Seriously. And we know that powerful and/or rich people are more likely to be psychopathic, too. We are allowing mental cases to run riot. Really people, we need to take this whole situation in hand, and govern/treat these people, not let them do as they please, with us or with animals. Also, mental diseases should be deselectable as embryoes, just as the physically disabled are. We need to stop abusive behaviour, permanently.

I think synthetic snake has been in fashion for ever. These beautiful snakes are killed for their beauty alone, when snakes are a threat that is a different story, but they have a serious place on earth,have been place on this earth by an extreme power and scum poachers I feel are a threat and were not put on this earth for that .They need to be stopped now .Our earth is so out of order with abuse, corruption please start with the most precious animals,mammals .reptiles.ECT